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Mahabhuta

Mahabhūta (Sanskrit: महाभूत) means "great elements" and refers to the five fundamental constituents of matter in many Indian philosophical systems. They are viewed as the basic substrates from which the physical world and the human body are formed. Most traditions arrange them from subtle to gross: space (ākāśa), air (vāyu), fire (agni), water (jala), and earth (pṛthvī).

In classical thought, each mahabhūta carries characteristic properties and functions as a building block of matter

In Ayurveda, the five mahabhūtas combine to form the three doshas: vata (air and space), pitta (fire

The concept also appears in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist texts, where the mahabhūta provide a schematic account

and
sense
experience;
they
are
linked
to
the
evolution
of
the
cosmos
from
subtler
to
grosser
realities,
and
they
underpin
theories
of
physiology
and
medicine
as
well
as
cosmology.
and
water),
and
kapha
(earth
and
water).
This
framework
guides
diagnosis
and
treatment,
emphasizing
balance
among
elements
within
the
body
and
environment.
of
material
reality
and
its
transformation.
Though
the
details
vary
by
school,
the
basic
idea
remains:
matter
is
constituted
by
a
small
set
of
elemental
substrata
that
interact
to
produce
physical
phenomena
and
experience.